Educational Institutions

Student Assistance Program (SAP)

Assistance Program services specifically for students. Our counsellors are trained professionals who can assist and support students through confidential services. Aspiria believes that counselling should be based on need as opposed to a specific amount of sessions. We continue our counselling services as long as the student seeks support. Calls to our counselling service are always answered by our professional counsellors, and Aspiria audits all case files in order to ensure quality of service. We have a dual client relationship with our educational institution clients; we focus on both the student and the school, the plan sponsor. Our customized programs ensure that each school has the ability to create their own SAP services based on needs of their students; no two schools’ SAPs are the same. We provide 100% reporting accountability on all delivered activity, and include an ROI report based on the institution’s experience data. Our professional counselling services enable students to work with a professional counsellor for a series of counselling sessions including, but not limited to, the following issues:

Academic counselling

Addictions counselling

Career development

Crisis counselling

Financial counselling

Legal counselling

Nutritional counselling

Personal counselling

Transition counselling

Life coaching

Our 24/7 multilingual service is available to students and their families, year-round. Aspiria’s collaborative approach with on-campus student health services ensures students receive the right care with the right professional for the identified issue. When a traumatic school event occurs, the impact on stakeholders can be devastating. This is invariably the most anxiety-producing event on campus for both students involved andthe school. Aspiria’s 24/7 emergency response service provides security and peace of mind to schools through its direct access to our expert senior management and trauma response teams for critical incident consultation and intervention.

Our SAP features include:

Face-to-face, e/video, and telephonic counselling, based on student choice

A robust student iAspiria app, providing help in the palm of your hand

Access to our extensive professional counsellor network for specialized counselling

Access to support on-campus, off-campus, anywhere in North America

In addition to face-to-face counselling, our mobile app ISAP and our e/Video Session will enrich the counselling experience for those students who prefer the use of technology. Our iAspiria App allows students to obtain information on a number of support topics from their mobile device. Counselling records are strictly confidential and can only be shared with appropriate individuals with signed consent of the student.

Our team recognizes that students require a variety of options to resolve their mental health issues on and off campus, anywhere in the world. Aspiria’s collaborative approach with on-campus student health services ensures a student receives the right professional for the identified issue. For example, if a traumatic school event occurs, the impact on stakeholders can be devastating. This is invariably the most anxiety-producing event on campus for students involved, the school, and sponsors, especially if they are living far away from home. Aspiria’s emergency response service provides security and peace of mind to schools through direct access to our expert senior management and trauma response teams for critical incident consultation and intervention. A 24/7 on-demand support hotline is available year-round in over 180 languages to students, their parents, and sponsors, providing immediate support to students in crisis and coordinating support through the school’s internal resources.

Implementing a SAP for your institution brings maximum benefit, no matter the size of your institution. Outlined below are case studies from a few of our clients, which exemplify how our SAP services have improved the wellness of their respective schools:

Student Counselling

It was late at night when a first-year university student contacted Aspiria’s Clinical Response Centre quite upset; feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and experiencing waves of homesickness. He explained to the counsellor on the other end of the line that he had never been away from home and was finding his first few weeks of university to be very difficult. After listening to the student and providing immediate, in-the-moment support, our Clinical Response Centre counsellor recommended the student continue seeking counselling in person either on campus through his school’s counselling centre or with an Aspiria SAP counsellor close to campus. The student accepted the Aspiria SAP referral. Supportive counselling started right away, and continued throughout the rest of the school term to help the student adjust to leaving home and his new school setting.

Financial Counselling

A student in her fourth and final year of university was looking forward to graduating but was also experiencing anxiety and stress related to her current financial situation. She knew that her student loans would soon need to be paid and she was uncertain how she was going to get out of debt, especially since she did not yet have a job. A friend reminded her that Aspiria’s Student Assistance Program had a financial service that students could access and obtain financial consultation. She took advantage of the free consultations with a financial counsellor and received timely help that not only provided her with some concrete strategies to address her debt issues, but also helped her reduce her money-related anxiety and stress levels.

On-Campus Trauma Counselling

A first-year student living in college residence came back to his dorm late one night to find his roommate lying unconscious on the floor. He immediately notified the residence Don and campus security. Unfortunately, upon further examination, the student was found to be deceased due to, at the time, unknown reasons. The college contacted our Aspiria SAP that same night and a member of Aspiria’s critical incident/trauma team consulted with the residence head to set up onsite intervention support that very night, as well as the following days. Members of the residence, students of the college, immediate family members of the deceased student and the roommate were offered group and individual counselling support and follow-up by Aspiria trained trauma counsellors. The incident experienced that night by the college was very traumatic and felt throughout the school community. Aspiria SAP was there to provide immediate professional support to all those who were touched by this unfortunate loss.

Collaborative Partnerships

The senior management team’s Campus Health Centre was going through a major student mental health and disability management initiative. Aspiria’s Clinical Director consulted with the Health Centre team’s executive and it was agreed that he would provide an educational and best practices seminar to the counselling staff and other key members of the team. The seminar addressed psychological and other mental-health related problems with a focus on common types of issues, signs and symptoms, how best to accommodate students with mental health/learning disabilities and successful reintegration into the school environment if there was an extended student leave of absence. This is one example of the collaborative relationship Aspiria SAP has with their universities and colleges; demonstrating the importance of a partnership that goes beyond a student counselling service.

We make it easier with a fast online quote that helps us better understand your specific health and wellness requirements. Once submitted, one of our EAP experts will get back to you within the same business day.

"Aspiria's robust SAP service has changed the way we look at mental health on campus. As a large majority of our students commute to school, the ability to access these services from home has been incredibly beneficial for our students. While there is mental health support on campus, students may need help outside of regular office hours. Aspiria's SAP offers students a diverse range of affordable, accessible mental health care assistance wherever and whenever they need it." - Meri Kim Oliver, Durham College’s Vice-President of Student Affairs